I came to the police station to see Mr. Abul Kalam. The duty officer is very busy. Even in the midst of this busyness, he saw me and became busy again. His preoccupation is limited to shedding hair. He is doing this great work quite well. A small mirror in front of him. Scissors and tongs on one side. He is in trouble because God sent him to earth with only two holes. Having three hands would have been an advantage for him. He used to hold the mirror in one hand. He used tongs and scissors with his other hand.
I stood in front of the duty officer and said very politely, Sir Assalamualaikum.
The duty officer lowered the mirror from his hand and frowned and said, what do you want?
I sat in the chair in front of him and said with a smile, I have come to talk, sir. I'll gossip with you for a while if you allow.
The duty officer shouted, "Do you mean gossiping?" Gossiping about what?
I smiled broadly and said: You are retired sir, you are blowing your nose. I am also retired. So let's gossip for a while.
Who are you
I am a poet. I don't think so. You can look at the old file. I was in your custody for four days three years ago. There is my identity written - poet.
Poet?
Yes sir poet. Poet. I am a Rabindranath poet. I write poems with similarities. E.g.
Police
Fulish
Cows
Narrow
Stairs
Giggles.
The duty officer sat motionless. Early signs of a storm. The tiger gives a tail home to the ground before jumping on the prey. The police also moved.
I said in a sweet voice, "Sir, tell me to have two cups of tea." I have a little more sugar - three spoons. Poet Rabindranath used to eat more sugar than tea so I am trying to follow him everywhere. The poet also wrote a song about sugar. Did you hear the song?
The duty officer bit his lower lip. Biting the lip of the police means signal number ten. Storm L says. I said in a calm voice, this is Rabindranath's song written with sugar—
Chini go chini tomare
Ogo foreigner.
That means he is talking about foreign sugar. Domestic sugar is kind of dirty reddish. Foreign sugar is fluffy white.
The duty officer pressed the calling bell. Now a slight smile appeared on his face. After the insects get stuck in the spider's web, the spider looks at the insects and smiles like a smile.
I smiled too. But I stopped laughing instantly and said: Listen to the English of this song — Chinigo Chini Tomare Sagar Sugar you
Hearing the calling bell, a policeman appeared with a rifle on his shoulder. The poor are the weakest type. Can't stand straight under the weight of the rifle. Is hunched over. It would not be right to send these cops out on duty. At the first opportunity he would drop his rifle in a dustbin and go home to sleep.
The weak police gave a salute to the duty officer with great difficulty. The duty officer showed me and said: Take it and put it in the locker. Big sir come then we will take action? The bastard oil has become more - I reduce the oil.
I was taken into custody. A total of six people took me into custody. I looked at everyone and shook hands like political leaders and said: Good morning. Are you all well? No one answered. Only Mr. Abul Kalam started blinking his eyes. It seems he can't see clearly. It is understood that the gentleman ate a good lump. One of his eyes is big and the other is small. The same part of the forehead is swollen like the potatoes of Nainital. It looks like a permanent system. This swelling will never go away. The rest of his life he will have to carry potatoes on his forehead. Earlier, Rakh was covered in police beating. Something could not be understood. Marta also took him to the stage of his artwork — he is no longer the case. I killed the will - I threw it in the water tank; There is no harm in revealing a deadbody - a statement will be made in the newspaper - this man went to the water tank to drink water. Then the foot slipped and fell into the tank. Death is there.
The doctors will inquire. They will also report: Water has been found in the lungs. That is death by drowning. There are signs of a head injury তা it could be due to a bump on the lid of the water tank.
Mr. Himu.
Yes. Do you recognize me? I am Abul Kalam.
I recognize. How are you Abul Kalam did not answer. Stared blankly. I said, I have come to rescue you.
Abul Kalam muttered, "Thank you."
It is clear that the poor man has gone into a trance. That has come to surpass. This problem is not bothering him in the custody he has. But other detainees are now looking at me with curious eyes. The appearance and dress of one of them is of elegant class. Gold colored glasses in the eyes. College vice principal type look. He leaned closer. Trying to listen to our conversations. I looked at him and said, brother, how are you? He did not answer. He turned his face to the other side.
I brought my face to Mr. Abul Kalam's ear and whispered, "Have you hit more?"
Abul Kalam said in a weak voice, no. Will hit after dusk.
I said, get the clock off in a couple of hours; Don't stay until evening.
Abul Kalam whispered and said again, thank you.
As soon as you get out of jail, take a bath with hot water. Heavy bath with a lump of soap. Then take two paracetamol, one. Cidaxine. I will bring tea from Gonemia's tea shop. Mugabharati eats a mug of tea. With a Benson cigarette - see how it feels.
Yes, well. Thank you.
Why are you saying thank you a little at a time? What happened? Abul Kalam whispered, "Himu bhai has lost his head." I don't even know what I'm saying. I was beaten by my mother when I was young and then I was beaten by the police. The heart is shaking. Or the real beating after the evening. The real man to kill is after his duty evening.
Why did the police catch him?
Two lakh rupees has been stolen from the house of Mr. Sabur, the owner of the mess. His idea is that I stole the money. He paid five thousand rupees to the police to recover the money. Will give ten more if rescued. This is the contract. The police are trying to recover the money. The final will hit after dusk.
What has happened so far is the semi-finals.
Yes. I think he will kill me knowingly at night.
Did you take the money?
No, brother. I steal petty. I went to the mess market and removed thirty rupees. I walk to the raw market —– I write the rickshaw fare at the time of the bill is fifteen rupees. I do these things. How to do big theft? It takes a big coil to steal big. My coils are small. Extra small. I am restless with fear. The police knelt down on my stomach. I didn't feel any pain, but I urinated in fear. I brought a bucket of water and washed the urine myself. Let's see what shame he said.
What's the shame in washing your urine? If Mr. OC washed your urine - it was a shame.
That's right. When Bhai Saheb takes him to kill in the evening, he will probably kill him.
No, you will get away without it.
How?
I have made arrangements. Mr. IG will telephone. On the telephone he will say, Abul Kalam is a man of very honest character. My ex acquaintance. This will work.
Thank you.
Didn't sleep at night?
No
Now take a short nap. I will call when Mr. IG calls.
Thank you.
Mr. Abul Kalam closed his eyes. The way you breathe. It seems so. He is asleep. The gentleman leaned towards us again to look like the vice principal. He is staring at the sleeping Abul Kalam. I said, say something?
The gentleman nodded. I said, why did the police catch you?
The gentleman said in a very sweet voice, caught as a murderer.
Killed?
Yes I did.
Who did you kill?
I did. One. I don't need to say his name. What do you need with the name of the one who is gone? He does not exist.
What's your name
The gentleman did not answer. He took out a cigarette with his hand in his pocket. Holding a cigarette with a lighter, he said in a simple normal voice - this man of yours has been fidgeting all night. Seeing you now is sleeping in peace. You put him to sleep by lying. Do you understand that the power of lies is greater than the truth?
Trying to understand.
In this age no one believes the truth. To be honest, he looks with suspicion. You didn't believe me when I said murder. Looked with suspicious eyes. But I really killed.
I'm quietly listening to the gentleman. The gentleman is talking nonsense. The smiling face is twinkling.
The gentleman handed me a half-eaten cigarette and said, "Eat a cigarette." I was quite surprised to see how you put a man to sleep by lying. What's your name
Himu.
Just Himu?
Yes.
Why did the police catch you?
I came to pick up Mr. Abul Kalam. The police put me in the locker.
The gentleman seemed to have a lot of fun with my words. He shook his body and started laughing. A very different smile. The whole body is shaking, but no sound of laughter is coming. There is no smile in the eyes! The eyes are fixed.
Mr. Himu!
Yes.
My name is Sadek Chowdhury. Leave this card to me. Please contact if needed.
Thank you.
Did you learn to say thank you to your friend?
Yes.
I can arrange for you and your friend to be released. Do?
No need. We'll get off in a couple of hours.
Will you release Mr. IG by telephone?
Yes.
The gentleman smiled his strange smile again. Seeing his smile this time, his body became shivering. Dad wrote about silent laughter.
Be very careful about the person who smiles silently. There are two types of people who laugh silently: very high level devotees and very low class vampire characters. Distinguishing between the two is not a complicated task. These two categories can be distinguished by smell. Sughran can be found in the mouth of a pious person during laughter. Bitter and pungent foul-smelling odors can be found on vampires. Just as the saints are insignificant in number, so are the vampires. These two classes of people have a lot to teach. Baba Himu also remembers that it is very scary that there is nectar mixed in it. The most sacred nectar contains the deadly gourd. There is no gold without alloy. There is no nectar without garal.
The prison door opened. The thin policeman looked at me and gestured. He also seems to work hard to speak. Don't agree.
I stood in front of the OC. He looked at me from head to toe. Eyes frowned. A teacher thinks that everyone he sees is a student. Even a police officer considers anyone he sees to be a bad type of criminal. I said with a very humble type smile, Sir, is the body and mind good? If a criminal asks about the health of the body, he should get angry. Mr. OC's body did not burn. He kept his eyes and face wrinkled. But he said in a polite voice, sit down.
I sat down. Mr. OC put on glasses and said - I heard you are a poet.
I said in a humble manner, "Yes, sir, poet." There was an annoyance in my mind as to why poems were not written about the police BDR and the army. They are also part of the population. It is heartbreaking to think that Rabindranath has written so many poems about so many things but he has not written any poems about the police. He wrote: He is the head of the soil of my country after you. Without writing it, he could have written effortlessly — and the police of my country are at your feet. It showed respect to the police brothers.
Don't be silly.
Yes, sir.
Who is Abul Kalam?
No one is important, sir.
Importantly, the IG of the police is interested in him. How can he be a common man?
I lowered my voice and said that the IG of the police was interested because he had been pressured from above.
What's so great about that?
That cannot be called sir.
All right, you take Abul Kalam away.
Leaving.
I'm leaving. Have tea?
No tea. However, it is very useful to do a small thing - Mr. Abul Kalam's nose hair has come out. He is a very important person. It is not right to take him out with the hair out of his nose. If you arrange to make his nose hair a little shorter. Is very beneficial.
Mr. OC said in a shocked voice, what does that mean?
If you tell your duty officer, you will understand. He put me in jail for no reason. If he bothers to shorten Mr. Abul Kalam's nose hair - then I will not remember anything. The poet says - Forget and Forgive, forgiveness is a sign of importance. I understood by seeing him. He is great. He is great. He is the great Ekushey.
Mr. OC is staring at the fire. He rang the bell and called the duty officer.
I lowered my throat and said very politely, if you bring another garland. I will put the garland around Mr. Abul Kalam's neck. Many have been released from jail wearing necklaces. No one was released. Let's make a record.
Is your name Himu?
Yes.
Not this day. There are more days - have you heard this song?
I saw it on TV, sir. Quddus Bayati sings the song with a group of children.
Remember the lyrics. If I can't treat you in the future, I will change my name to Alam Khan by Akika. - Dog Khan. You will receive Akika's invitation.
Mr. OC's body is shaking with anger. He can't handle the anger. The duty officer came and stood beside him. Mr. OC looked at him and said - listen to what this man is saying and bring a garland of flowers.
Mr. Abul Kalam has a pile of flowers around his neck. He is stepping in a random manner. I said, does the body feel worse?
No
If it feels bad to walk with the necklace around your neck, take it off.
No
Take a rickshaw?
No.
Where did you go? Go back to the mess?
No.
Do you have any relatives in Dhaka? Tell me the address and take me there. There is no one known in Dhaka. I will go home to Chandpur. Let's go to the launch.
Have tea? Let's sit in a restaurant and have tea, then decide what to do. If you want to go to Chandpur, you will go.
Do not have to report to the police?
No. You don't seem to be bothered by the police anymore. The way Mr. IG has said about you then there is nothing more to say.
What he said I am an honest man.
Of course.
Why say. He doesn't know me.
I wanted to tell him. Even if he doesn't know you, I know him.
Brother Himu, do you think I am an honest man?
Of course.
Mr. Abul Kalam muttered, this is the first time someone has said, I am a good man. No one has ever said that before. I once stole a pen when I was in school — then my name became োর a thief's word! There were two words in the school. Call him good, call me thief.
It doesn't matter who called. You know. What are you You don't know yourself?
I know. I am a thief. I really stole two lakh rupees. You have brought out a thief with a garland of flowers around his neck. Didn't do the job right.
Mr. Kalam is breathing heavily. I'm looking. Mr. Kalam looked at me. He said in a calm voice, I will go to Sadarghat terminal now. From there I will go to Chandpur. Brother go?
Mr. Kalam is walking with a garland of flowers around his neck. I'm looking at him. Many more are watching him. No one walks in Dhaka city with a garland of flowers around his neck.